Thami Mnyele, SA artist and member of MK, is killed in Gaborone

Date: 14 Jun 1985
Updated: 12 Jun 2020

Thamsaqa 'Thami' ka Mnyele was a talented graphic artist and a political activist. Due to his political activities, Mnyele was forced to leave his family in Alexander, becoming exiled in Botswana. He became very active in the African National Congress’ (ANC) military wing Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK). On June 14, 1985, Thami Mnyele was shot dead by South African Defence Force (SADF) soldiers outside his home in Gaborone. He was due to move to Lusaka the next day and large collections of his works that were packed into a portfolio were taken by the SADF. A week later, Security Police Major Craig Williamson displayed the portfolio and the works in it on SABC television, as evidence of Thami's 'terrorist' activities. To date, these works have not been recovered from the security police.

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01H-Net A South African Artist in the Age of Apartheid [online] Available at: www.h-net.org [Accessed on 28 May 2012]
02Dead Revolutionaries Club Andile Mngxitama on Thami Mnyele and MEDU Arts Ensemble Retrospective at Johannesburg Art Gallery [online] Available at: https://deadrevolutionariesclub.co.za [Accessed on 28 May 2012]

Last updated · 12 Jun 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, June 7). Thami Mnyele, SA artist and member of MK, is killed in Gaborone. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085162

South African History Online (2012) 'Thami Mnyele, SA artist and member of MK, is killed in Gaborone', South African History Online, 7 June. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085162 (Accessed: 18 August 2026).

South African History Online, Thami Mnyele, SA artist and member of MK, is killed in Gaborone [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085162, (accessed 18 August 2026).

"Thami Mnyele, SA artist and member of MK, is killed in Gaborone." South African History Online, 7 June 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085162. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Thami Mnyele, SA artist and member of MK, is killed in Gaborone." South African History Online. June 7, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085162.